NY Irish Center

Hurricane Sandy gave us a new normal in New York. We had long since become skeptical of forecasts of severe weather, but Sandy changed all that. If there is a silver lining to this catastrophe, then it is that it has shown how important Irish Centers are to the well-being of our community. In Sandy’s wake, as its awful aftermath became clear, the local Irish Centers were among the first to mobilize, the New York Irish Center among them, gathering and coordinating deliveries of emergency supplies to the worst-hit areas. We are now a key contributor to community-wide relief efforts.A year goes by so quickly, doesn’t it? It certainly seems so for my wife Rosa and I, as we watch our children grow

up at what appears to be an accelerating pace. 2012 has also been great for my other great passion, the New York Irish Center. Looking back, we have much to be grateful for, especially for the huge support we enjoy in the community. This was abundantly clear from our Comedy Night fundraiser at Symphony Space in June, which played to a packed house! December is also a time to look ahead, and as we finalize our plans process for 2013, we remain focused on helping those affected by

October’s terrible storm. Stacked against the suffering of so many in

our community at this time, we feel

especially blessed, and I pledge we will continue to fulfill the vision of

our founders in 2013, to provide a home for the Irish at heart in New York, building community through culture, identity and friendship.A year ago we made the conscious decision to invest in telling our story, a crucial component of any successful operation. In this regard, we have accomplished so much, thanks to a dedicated group of volunteer Board members and

energized staff, all of whom comprise

our PR Subcommittee. Now you can get to know us better by spending time on our website, or watching our exciting and innovative whiteboard animation, at nyirish.org. You’ll also read and hear about us more frequently in the media these days, and we’ve mastered Twitter and Facebook! None of this is a substitute for a visit here of course, so if you haven’t been, come on over…seeing is believing! Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Paul FinneganExecutive Director, New York Irish Center Tel: 718 482 0909 www.nyirish.org

Here follows a selection of what goes on at the New York Irish Center;Saturday Senior Computer Club - ongoingThe Saturday Seniors Computer Club continued its growth in 2012. 10-14 Seniors come together every week to share and learn from each other in our cozy downstairs Library space. James McHugh has developed a unique program where friendly computer savvy volunteers guide the Seniors through the virtual world of social media, email, YouTube, Facebook, Skype and much more besides. This is a relaxed mixing of the generations where computer tips and stories of bygone times fill the air over a keyboard and a cup of tea. There are two courses every Saturday at 10am and 11.30am. Visit www.nyirish.org for further details.

Wednesday Senior Lunch Program - ongoingOne of the Center’s longest running programs is The Wednesday Senior Lunch, held

weekly in the Center’s Main Hall. Every Wednesday The Center warms to the sound of Seniors enjoying each other’s company over lunch. The food is provided courtesy of an ever increasing roster of New York Irish Bars and Restaurants, many of whom have supported this program since its inception in 2006.

Story Corps - February 2012Modelled on the highly successful NPR radio series, one of our interns, Rachel O’Donnell produced our very own “StoryCorps” recordings. This was a unique opportunity to capture some of the oral history of our Seniors. Conor Murphy of Verbatim Studios contributed his time and expertise Pro Bono, helping to ensure a high quality product. Five participants were recorded; Frank Gordon, John Houlihan, Tom McCluskey, Tony Lambe and Patrick Morgan. New York Irish Center Board Member and Volunteer Padraic Feeney conducted the interviews. The recordings can be enjoyed on our website at www.nyirish.org

Children’s Programs - ongoingJane McCarter, Arts and Cultural Director, is heading up our Children’s Programs at the Center. In 2012, she produced three distinct programs, laying the groundwork for the future development of our Children’s programming. Jane’s most ambitious,

new and exciting venture was a collaboration with Christel Rice, Niall O’Leary and Vera Doherty, a two week Summer program, the Tír na Nóg Children’s Festival. The Festival was a unique blend of the arts; visual, musical and theatrical, celebrated via one of the richest veins of Irish mythical folklore, Tír na Nóg. Jane also produced Oíche Shamhna, where children learned about the Irish roots of Halloween, and the Children’s Christmas Party. All of our 2012 Children’s events were a great success and Jane has exciting plans for 2013. Watch this monthly space for details, bookmark our website at www.nyirish.org or check us out on Facebook.Irish Movie Night Program - ongoingChris Deignan created the Monthly Irish Movie in 2011 and continued it in to 2012. We like to think we offer a unique moviegoing experience where quality Irish film meets unmatched Irish hospitality. Doors open at 7.30pm and moviegoers are encouraged to mingle and enjoy our pre-show downstairs hospitality where they can enjoy FREE tea, coffee, snacks and popcorn and a discount bar, hosted by our friendly team of Movie night volunteers.As in 2011, we continued our collaboration with the 1st Irish Theatre Festival, under the auspices of their Artistic Director, George Heslin. This year we enjoyed a first time collaboration with the Irish Rep’s Ciaran O’Reilly who

performed the opening monologue of Dancing at Lughnasa before a screening of the movie of the same name. Our next Movie Night is on Friday Dec. 21, doors 7.30pm features John Huston’s “The Dead” and our short is an Irish original, “Cluck”. Tickets at www.nyirish.orgLive Music Program - ongoingChris also developed the Live Music Program. This is a very exciting program which attracts many new people to the Center. We have a wonderfully intimate space, highly conducive to the enjoyment of quality musical entertainment. One of the highlights of the year was Grammy Award Winner Susan McKeown who was joined on stage by another major Irish talent, Michael Brunnock. Chris plans to expand the program in 2013.Annual Fundraiser, June 2012Our annual benefit was held on June 14th at Symphony Space, a prestigious 800-seat venue on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. This year represented a move away from the traditional Dinner Dance format and it proved to be a great success. Mark Fox, a member of our Executive Board produced the show, ably abetted by Jane McCarter as Stage Manager. The two stars of the show, both titans

of Irish comedy, were Brendan Grace and Pat Shortt, with music provided by Colin Smith. All played to a packed house rung loud with laughter, inspiring us to reach even greater heights in 2013.Genealogy Program - ongoingBridget Bray created the Genealogy Program which was held twice in 2012. The first course was in January and the second in October. Over 30 people attended each session. The talks/workshops focused on how to get started in tracing your family roots. Bridget’s enthusiasm and knowledge are infectious and impressive and it’s no wonder that she was also the driving force behind a very well attended two day Genealogy Event in Manhattan in October. She has tapped in to a rich vein of

interest and we wait with baited breath to see what she has in store for us in 2013.Public Relations Program - ongoingHoward Maxwell started the Public Relations Group which developed the monthly New York Irish Center Newsletter. It has been published every month this year and we look forward to expanding it in 2013.Response to Sandy - ongoingUnder the able direction of Paul Finnegan, a tireless Corina Galvin and a team of volunteers, the response of the New York Irish Center to Hurricane Sandy has been considerable. The Center received many donations from the community and with the help of The Padded Wagon, delivered several truck loads of aid to the Rockaways. Thank you to everyone for their help and please continue to do all you can to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy.New Promotional VideoIn 2012, Paul Finnegan commissioned a new promotional video. Produced in collaboration with New Aims Production (based in Ireland), the video runs just over four minutes in length and tells the unique story of the New York Irish Center and its development since 2003. Check it out the on home page of our website at www.nyirish.org. It has been a memorable year and as we look forward to 2013, we invite you to join us on our journey as we continue

“Building Community, one person at a time”

End of Year Reflections

Remember and CelebrateAs 2012 draws to a close let’s look back at an exciting year at the New York Irish Center.

As you’ll see from the richness and depth of our programming, we remain true to our mission of the “mixing of the generations.”

Computer Club Founder, James McHugh

StoryCorps Producer; Rachel O’Donnell, w/Frank Gordon & Padraic Feeney

2011 Christmas Children’s Party

2012 Genealogy Workshop